Improvement in bronzing articles of iron



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SPRING, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO P. & F.

CORBIN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRONZING ARTICLES OF IRONP Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 197,572, dated November 27, 1877; application filedNovember 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SPRING, of New Britain, in the county ofHartford, in the State of Connecticut; have invented an Improvement inBronzing Articles of Iron, of which the following is a specification:

Articles of iron have been coated by oil and subjected to the action ofheat to produce the color desired in imitation of bronze. This isdiflicult to accomplish and to produce u niformity of color, because thecolor varies with the temperature.

Brass has been rubbed upon iron to give color to the same, and iron hashad its surface coated by a deposit of copper and other metals from asolution, and a varnish has in some instances been applied to the same.

My invention relates to the method of producing an artificial bronzesurface upon iron. The articles to be bronzed are cleaned in the usualmanner; they are then subjected to friction with brass, by placing thearticles in a tumbling barrel or rumbler with pieces, of brass,preferably star-shaped, so that the surface of the iron is covered witha thin film of brass by abrasion; or the surface may be similarlyprepared by rubbing the same" with a brush of fine brass wire. Thesurface of theiron' will be colored more or less, according to the timethat the iron is exposed to the action of the brass. The surface of theiron is then covered with a suitable varnish, such as copal, andsubjected to a suflicient degree of heat to render the same hard andfirm.

' The iron prepared in this manner has a luster and handsome appearance,thatcannot be produced by the varnishing processes heretofore employed.

I do not claim coating iron by rubbing it in the same and finishing thesurface by a coating of varnish.

Signed by me this 4th day of November, A. D. 1876.

J. M. SPRING.

Witnesses:

CHARLES PECK, SAML. BASSETT.

